Customer Reviews

Kind words from previous clients

Hi Ellen,
What a pleasure seeing you again. Just as lively and lovely, just as I remember.
Guests raved about your food. The presentation was on point. Servers were on it. Overall, success!

Gulf Stream, Savannah, Georgia

If you want the most important day in your life to be planned, organized and catered by gifted, talented people who care – choose Pure Joy Catering. They (Ellen Reid) go above and beyond to add the right special touches to create a personalized celebration for life long memories. Ellen helped plan a memorial celebration for my beautiful daughter Megan and it was perfect. It truly honored her passionate life and precious memory. Wish you were here in Chicago – I would hire you for EVERY event! Thank you Ellen and Pure Joy Catering!

Tami Davis, Chicago

Catering and food were wonderful. Staff and entire evening were perfect. Bill was so happy. His party was exactly what he wanted. A great great night. Thank you for all the attentive professionalism. Amazing evening.

Kathy Borgers, Padero Lane

Patrick & Pure Joy Staff,
Thank you for creating the most unforgettable, amazing, delicious meal! We’re so blown away by how great every single aspect was. Our guests have told us MULTIPLE times that it was the best meal they’ve ever had! And, we completely agree! Our only regret is not being ale to have it again. Thank you for all of your hard work in helping us create this event from Alaska!

Maegan & Nick Mascagno, Alaska

We wanted to create a completely different style of wedding- an outdoor rustic dinner party wedding at Elings Park followed by an amazing indoor neon and pink velvet after party at the Maritime Museum. Pure Joy nailed both of our back-to-back events. They captured everything we had in mind and executed every detail to perfection. Needless to say, I had to extend their services by about an hour last minute because everyone was having such a good time and no one was leaving (definition of a successful wedding). We worked with Patrick Ward and Kacey House. They were flawless. Patrick oversaw our event, while Kacey was our day-off coordinator. She is simply the best- I highly recommend asking for her when working with the PJ team. The food was so good I only wish I could have eaten more of it and the services were impeccable. All of guest commented on how good the food was, and said it was the best wedding they had been to…I couldn’t agree more. Our event supervisors were Adam (for the dinner party) and Mike (for the evening After party) and they were superb – they paid close attention to all detail. If you are planning a wedding in Santa Barbara, please just go with the best team in town and avoid hassles, you will be stressed enough as it is.

Nini Lucia Muñoz, Ph. D., Santa Barbara

My Daughter and new son in-law just threw a wedding at a Malibu estate and chose Pure Joy Catering to do the food and rentals.

I have never been so impressed with a company of any kind.

Patrick and his staff provided:
The best food imaginable.
If you like braised short ribs that melt in your mouth,
i suggest you try them.

The service was impeccable. The staff is trained to be
professional, friendly courteous and to go out of their way
to make sure each guest feel special.

The estate where this was held, Villa Sancti (Spectacular) presented many special arrangements which Patrick did with ease and grace.

Everything done on time and with Class.

Patrick much thanks from my wife and myself.
You made our daughters dream come true.
She is in Bali now and I am sure she will contact you when she returns.

THANKYOUAGAIN !!!

Bernie and Kathy, Rancho Palos Verdes

Hey Lynette, Patrick and the whole Pure Joy Team,

I cannot thank you or sing your praises enough! You guys nailed it last weekend at Holland Ranch, and I have been getting texts for the past 2 days from the client who was THRILLED with your services. They said ‘Pure Joy was top notch, I am soooooo glad we used them’. ‘People went out of their way to tell us how good the food was’. For such a particular client to come back with such rave reviews is unbelievable! Kudos!

Jaime Kostechko Wild Heart, Coordinator & Event Designer

Katie said…
We cannot thank the incredible team at Pure Joy Catering enough for all that they did to make our annual auction gala such a huge success! Ellen and her team did an incredible job from start to finish. From the planning stages with Ellen to the event staff going above and beyond for our guests, everything went off without a hitch! I already told Ellen, that Mikey and Kasey were ROCKSTARS, they did an amazing job! We have had so many emails from guests saying how delicious the food was (and that it was hot!), people were very impressed. [250 dinner plates served in 13 minutes!] The best part of our event was not just the service, food and ambiance, but that the people of our community came together for a great cause, to support the children in our community that need it the most. I would recommend Pure Joy Catering to other non-profits that are looking to host a fundraising event, they could not have more accommodating and helpful in the overall planning process, they helped put us at ease and that is priceless! Many, many thanks!

Boys & Girls Club Gala

Please extend a special thank you to Ellen and to everyone who made the event go so smoothly. From the first phone call to the last guest to leave on the day of the memorial, Ellen and her team made that day as worry-free and as perfect as it could be.
And this was done in spite of a difficult venue and somewhat uncooperative weather.

Thank you so much,

Ali T, Beverly Hills

Thank you SO much for everything! Wow! I knew it would be amazing, but your staff really went above and beyond to coordinate and make everything incredible. Everything was so organized and seamless! People raved to me about the food and the cocktails were a hit!

It seriously meant so much to me that one of the wait staff came and brought us drinks, appetizers, and our food!!! That extra step helped so much! Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have eaten anything!! My husband loved it all, especially the tri-tip!

Thank you again for everything! Patrick, thank you for working with us every step of the way and providing all accommodations we needed! Kudos!

Alexis Alegria

Ellen, You guys did an incredible job! We went to another wedding in Malibu the weekend after getting back from our honeymoon- they didn’t have enough heaters, the dance floor was too small and they hadn’t set up the buffet to accommodate everyone :-/ It really shone a light on how professional and well-prepared you and your team is. We were so grateful ours went off without a hitch!! Thank you again:)

Gianna Biscontini and William Thomas, San Diego

Ellen was such a great person to work with. From day 1, she was so helpful and dedicated to us. We live out of state so we didn’t have a chance to get to do a food tasting but we went with our gut and reviews and went with them. Seriously Pure Joy Catering is amazing! The food was so amazing and our guest couldn’t get enough. We wanted to go back for food over and over but we were so full and satisfied we couldn’t fit anymore! We had an open bar which PJC staffed the bartenders and the bartenders were great. All the staff that helped out at the wedding were super professional and made everything run so smooth. We are so happy we choose PJC and couldn’t be more thankful for making our dream wedding come true.

Renee Xiong, Nebraska

I used Pure Joy for my wedding many years ago. It was a large part of our budget, but the food was important to me, so we splurged. We had multiple people tell us it was the best food they had ever had at a wedding. A friend of mine who is now getting married just contracted with Pure Joy, because 9 years later she still remembers how good the food was at our wedding. Highly recommend them!

Megan Burwell

Ellen, Lynee, and the Pure Joy team-
Just back from our short honeymoon trip, and I wanted to send a note now that we have a little more time. We wanted to thank you for such an incredible job on our wedding reception. We heard from more than a few guests that it was some of — if not THE — best wedding food that they remembered in recent times. It was really quite amazing, and the execution was flawless, which made it so easy on us — KEY! We especially appreciate the bringing of a few cocktails and apps over during the family pictures, and saving us a platter of the appetizers to enjoy during dinner. We did have a chance to eat (rapidly!) but we were able to sample everything and I can say that the food was delicious. The chicken katsu was really outstanding in particular, a real superstar.
Again thank you for all of your help in preparing for and then executing our event. It was better than we could imagined! Ellen, thank you especially for your superb organization, quick responses, and overall professionalism. It was a pleasure to work with you.
Cheers,

Scott Shell & Andrew Masuda, Buellton

The party was great! We’re happy to use you again and recommend you. Thanks so much.

Jeff & Susan Bridges

Any catering company that can go from vegan to vegetarian to gluten-free to fried chicken and Belgian buttermilk waffles without missing a beat or sacrificing even one ounce of deliciousness is clearly a special sort of operation. Lynette La Mere’s Pure Joy Catering is exactly that type of business. As full-service an outfit as you could ask for, Pure Joy is once again our readers’ landslide pick for caterers here in Santa Barbara. No matter the occasion, from weddings and birthdays to cocktail parties, corporate affairs, or whack-a-doodle theme parties, La Mere and crew have you covered with their trademark “sexy” food.

Dear Ellen, Lynee and Patrick,
Thank you so much! Everyone we’ve spoken to has raved about how fantastic the food was, how large the portions were, how great the service was, and just all around how perfect you guys were. We can’t thank you enough, you guys went above and beyond what we expected and we felt like we were in great hands throughout the entire process.

We’ve had multiple people rave about how amazing the Moscow Mule’s were – in part I think because of the homemade ginger beer, which was fantastic. But I wanted to check – did you guys do different ratios than normal, or 4 oz Ginger beer, 2 oz Vodka, splash of lime juice? I’ve had a few requests for the “Pure Joy Moscow Mule” so I had to ask!

Thank you again for everything!

Cheers, Edith & Stefan, San Jose

Hi Ellen and Patrick –
I wanted to email you this morning to thank you for doing such an incredible job at our first Santa Barbara gala last night. Ellen – you were so responsive and patient with the many changes leading up to the event and Patrick, you and your team were lifesavers the day of the event with all of the table changes and snug table arrangements. The food was phenomenal – guests were raving about it (a first for one of our events!)

Your staff was so incredibly professional and helpful in assisting my team with our myriad of needs throughout the night. Ryan – one of your servers – was fantastic. He catered to our VIPs beautifully, making them feel comfortable and well-taken care of. Any time I needed extra assistance, Ryan was right there to lend a hand.

Patrick, thank you for being my support throughout the evening with the sometimes cluster of issues that presented themselves! You were a true pleasure to work with.

Ellen, thank you for helping me design such a delicious menu (you were totally right about that veggie tower – I wish I was eating leftovers right now!).

I should note, the owner of the home, now wants to use PJC exclusively for all events that she hosts. I will be sure to provide her with your contact information.

Have a great rest of your weekend. I look forward to working with your team again for next year’s event!

Niki Ianni, The Humane Society of the United States

Greetings from Puerto Vallarta! Joe and I just got here today and I’m looking forward to my first night of over 5 hours of sleep in a few days :)
Thank you SO much for everything! Pure Joy exceeded my every expectation, and I’m sure you hear this all of the time but our guests at both our Welcome Dinner and our Wedding were going CRAZY over the food!!! Patrick, you were the BEST project manager and the wonderful ideas that you and Liz shared with us were a hit. Everyone kept coming up to us and raved about literally every appetizer, entree, and dessert (each person had their favorite dish) – not only was everything absolutely delicious, but gorgeous as well. And your staff was incredibly kind, helpful, and upbeat which really added to the mood at both events.

I will be singing your praises for years to come!! It was an absolute pleasure to work with all of you and I hope that we keep in touch!

Thanks again, Yee

Pure Joy team!!

Thank you SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even though I wasn’t able to eat much, our guests could not stop telling us how amazing the food was!! Thank you for all your hard work this past year with creating the wedding of our dreams!! Food and drink was a very important piece to us as we have been to so many weddings where the food is awful so I want to give extra thanks for how incredible everything was!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Special thanks to Patrick and Alizabeth for going out of their way for making sure all the crazy last minute details were attended to!!!

Words do not actually express how grateful we are!!!!!

Best, Oriana & Patrick

“The best wedding planning decision we made was to hire Pure Joy Catering. When the unexpected happened (rain in July in Santa Barbara) they reacted with extraordinary skill and grace to rescue our reception. Somehow, they managed to set up tables and chairs in our very limited space inside, while simultaneously tending bar and passing appetizers. Maneuvering through a crowd of 80 people, they set up and maintained a buffet that (judging from the empty plates and many compliments) everyone thoroughly enjoyed.

We chose Pure Joy not only because of their amazing food but also because we had confidence they would make sure that everything would go smoothly. They were truly put to the test and in every way exceeded our very high expectations.”

Laura Hoehne (MOG) & Terence Pow (FOB)

Hello Lynette, Patrick, Chef Jerry, Chris, Lynee & the Pure Joy team,

We just got home from our wedding weekend & the first thing I wanted to do was write you because Pure Joy made our wedding UNBELIEVABLE!

The entire process was a joy from the initial meeting to all the tweaking along the way. We were on a tight budget & didn’t know if we could afford it but the food was so amazing we just had to find a way. Patrick is OUTSTANDING! He really listened to us. He helped us splurge where we wanted to and save a little where it wouldn’t be so noticeable. We are foodies and I sat next to my best friend at our table (who is not a foodie) & she couldn’t stop telling me how delicious the food was as she delightfully cleaned her plate :) That brought me so much joy to watch her happiness eating. Many guests came up to tell me how exceptional the food was which just added to the specialness of the evening. I love good food and I enjoy sharing good food with others. My sister cannot stop talking about how incredible the food was. My top two items with the wedding were a gorgeous, outdoor venue (thank you Firestone) and scrumptious food. Thank you Pure Joy for enabling us to have our dream wedding. Although you are in trouble now because you may have ruined salmon for me, I don’t think anyone can make it taste as amazing as Chef Jerry’s oven roasted salmon with sun dried tomato & pine nut crust with lemon gremolata. That is an explosion of deliciousness in your mouth.

On top of the food being amazing, the people were fantastic. My wedding planner, Janelle, told me the following day that at the wedding she’d say to Patrick we need to do such & such & Patrick would always answer, “Already done.” A top notch operation. I had no idea how much prep, organization, & coordination was involved in putting on an event & Pure Joy made it seamless. I wish I could do it all over again. May I be so lucky as to be invited to an event that Pure Joy is catering. Or we just may have to have a 5 year anniversary party with Pure Joy catering it.

I will be sending a proper card when things settle down but in the meantime, where can I post this? The world needs to know what a stellar catering company Pure Joy is from start to finish.

With love & gratitude, Tracey & David

I would definitely recommend Pure Joy! Alizabeth helped me in the early stages of planning my wedding at Chase Palm Park and her thorough detail about why PJ’s quote was easily comparable to other caterers was why I ultimately when with the Pure Joy team. Ellen ended up being my event manager and she was fantastic. She delivered on everything I wanted and had planned with Alizabeth. The guests loved the food at the buffet and were even more impressed with our Thai cocktail hour. My only regret is that I didn’t get to try the pad thai, which was made from scratch right there in front of the guests. Ellen was also awesome leading up to the event and handled my gazillion questions with professionalism and understanding. Overall the event went off perfectly and I would choose them again in a heartbeat! Thanks, Ellen and Pure Joy! :)

Tracy F., Tustin Ca.

Lynette,
I have had the pleasure to work with Pure Joy teams on 4/5 at Firestone & 4/18 in Montecito with your PJ Teams.

I cannot be happier & more impressed with every, single part of my experience with your staff. From the planning emails & rental orders to the food service & clean up, it was all just flawless.

Mike was the manager at Firestone on 4/5 and did an incredible job. He was calm, cheerful, helpful, and got service done in a timely & relaxed manner. The buffet displays were beautiful, the food was delicious & perfectly cooked, and the guests (and Bride) were beyond-happy.

Patrick was the manager at the estate wedding we did on 4/18 and Mike was there as well. Honestly, the team that you sent to that wedding was BEYOND the A-Team! All of the servers were familiar to me, cheerful, helpful, flexible, and paid attention to all of the details – and there were quite a few. The photographer made us run late on the timeline but Patrick & the team caught us up (which I LOVED) during dinner service so we were right back on track by entree service!

As you can see, I LOVE working with you & the PJ Team and I just wanted to give kudos to your whole team and specifically to Mike & Patrick for all that they do for the Bride & Groom, the guests, the family and the vendors… and little ol’ me.

Pure Joy has been the #1 caterer on my Preferred Vendors List for 4 years now and these last two events are the reason for that!!

Thank you again for all that YOU do because your leadership shows in your staff & performance. Well done, well done!

PS – the fingerling/caviar limes at the cheese station were EPIC! And were there mulberries too?! You guys think of everything!

I remember when we did our first event “together” at El Capitan Canyon – 10 years ago – and you put dragon fruit on the breakfast buffet table. I was BLOWN away. So creative. Obviously, it was memorable.

Looking forward to many more events together!

Warm regards,
Sophie

Sophie Spier, M.A., Amazing Days Events

Alizabeth…the decorations and food…the service, the drinks….everything you guys did was SO amazing. We can’t thank you enough. I had friends and family comment afterwards how fun it was for your wait staff to approach us as we walked into the Museum with drinks on the trays….that went over BIG time. They are still saying it was a wedding of pure fun…so I guess that matched your name. :)

Lauren and Rudy

Hi Ellen,
After finally getting settled in as newlyweds, we wanted to take a minute to thank you and your team for everything you did to make our wedding day so special! Working with you and your staff was such a pleasure. We’ve received so many compliments about the food and service that evening and we couldn’t agree more. Please pass our thanks along to your team and many thanks for the cook book as well.

Nicolette & Bobby Hamm

Dear Alizabeth;
As I was thinking about my note of gratitude to you and Pure Joy for Kara and Joe’s wedding, I realized I wanted to say something different. I’ve worked with Lynette and Pure Joy for about 10 years. Some things never change and in fact, only get better: for example, I could write about the ultra most fresh ingredients that are sought out with love and hand picked and cooked and displayed to perfection. Or that guests are in awe of the burst of succulent flavors on their first bite into heaven. I could also write how PJ is full-service and coordinates all rentals and items necessary to ensure the backbone of the entire event is seamless.

But what I want to mention in this note of gratitude are a few things that I don’t think get mentioned in all the plethora of thank yous that you receive. And it is this: Pure Joy offers incredible value to clients on all kinds of spending plans (budgets) and treats them with equal dignity, enthusiasm and respect. Pure Joy is an award-winning caterer and top notch. But what I don’t think potential clients realize is that you are able to take almost any spending plan and make something delicious and extraordinary. The special touches you offer like asking the bride what her colors are so that your décor on your food tables complements it; the re-doing menu and rental proposals to make it fit within the client’s budget but without compromising your quality and service- now that takes skill, experience and brilliance. Clients get more than they pay for with Pure Joy, no matter what their spending plan. It is an investment that they are receiving the best value possible in perhaps the most important service for their most important day.

Thank you, as always for a lovely wedding and to your consistently strong team – in particular Adam- for producing a lovely wedding for my client at Chase Palm Park.

A very quick thank you before we head off to Honeymoon in Africa, but Saturday was absolute perfection and we couldn’t have pulled it off without you and the Pure Joy team. Everyone LOVED the food, and all the rentals, lighting, layout etc was SO perfect. We had a blast and cannot thank you enough for being on our crazy wedding journey, it was really fun working with you. You and Jill Remy are the total dream team.

Dash & Stephanie

I am so thankful that we found Pure Joy, that you were available AND that you were able to be with us on the day! You have been truly wonderful to us – I mean PB & Chocolate Chip Gluten Free Cookies??!! Thank you for your kindness & for remembering all our little details. I said it before & I’ll say it again- You’re the best! We adore you!

Sarayu and Jon / July 2014 at Fess Parker Winery

Alizabeth-
Thank you so much for everything. Yesterday was an absolute dream and we are so appreciative of the incredible contributions you made. The food was amazing! – of course Matt and I didn’t get a chance to eat haha- but I’m just so happy all our guests were in food heaven:). Thank you again for all your hard work in making our wedding so amazing and special. I couldn’t imagine it to have gone better!

Laura & Matt / May 2014 at Firestone Winery

Dear Patrick & The Pure Joy Team,
David and I would like to say a special thank you to all of you. You made our day so amazing and special, we could not have asked for a better ceremony and reception. If two couple could have dreamed about having their dream wedding, I would say that we did. Everything was amazing and you all coordinated and did such a wonderful job. David and I will never forget how great our day went, and so smooth no mistakes or issues. Perfect!!

Sharon & David

We would like to say our own personal thank you to everyone for making our wedding such an exquisitely seamless event! Everyone we spoke to commented on what a beautiful wedding it was, how great the food was, and how wonderful a time they had. We couldn’t have asked for more. Thank you all again for helping us create so many beautiful memories!

Mr & Mrs Matthew Van Dyk

Dear Pure Joy Catering,
Hey that was fun for everyone and the family was very very amazed that we caught the spirit of their desires.
I loved your crew and Ellen was a good partner. The bartender a hero. You really have it together there Dennis. I couldn’t have asked for more. I am hoping to have a party this summer.
Thank you so very much.

Rita, (The Wedding Hostess & Groom's Grandmother)

You are awesome, our wedding team was so awesome, Barbara specifically was awesome, the food was a HUGE hit and we so appreciated their graciousness and flexibility as the schedule got so off. We are so grateful!!!!!!

Erica

We just can’t get over how incredible everything was. You guys were a joy to work with. Sincerely. We continue to receive so many compliments about the food, bartenders ( a perfect match for us … thanks again for setting them up for us!), service, set-up and KRISTIN! The staff setting-up was sure to congratulate us as we walked through taking our pictures, and were all just incredible. I knew myself how great she was, but I also continue to hear wonderful things about Kristin from our guests. I guess there was some drama during the day with flowers (which we were spared from, so we still don’t know the story). However, my brother-in-law said that Kristin was there to help, trouble-shoot and was just wonderful in general. You have a special crew of professionals with you. Truly.

Thank you so very much to you all for making our wedding so much more than we could have asked for.

Emily and Eric

I know this is really random because it has been almost three years but we just got the un-cut footage of our wedding from Gina Jones with Lola Video and I just had to email you and let you know again how amazing you guys are and what a ridiculous job you did at our reception. We didn’t really get to appreciate the food tables, presentation, etc. because we didn’t go through the buffet and there was a clip of it quickly in our wedding video but we got to see everything in the un-cut footage and you guys were just over the top. I couldn’t even believe it. You went above and beyond and it far surpassed anything we could have possibly imagined for the event. Thank you so much for your attention to detail and for everything you guys did to make the day so wonderful. You are truly a master at your craft. Hope all is well!

Heather Bernardi

Just a quick belated note to thank you and everyone at Pure Joy for the hard work at our wedding. The food & decor surrpassed all expectations. In all the events I have planned over the years, you stand head & shoulders above all caterers in terms of service, professionalism and most importantly food! You and Kristin were an absolute pleasure to work with. Best of luck with the continued growth of the company.

Norm and Jennifer Liversidge

Ryan & I wanted to say thank you so much for all your help and coordination at the wedding and rehearsal. The schedule got off and you made it work seemlessly. We had a wonderful time and the food was amazing, thank you very much.

The Bentleys

Thanks to you, Kristin, and the entire Pure Joy team for making Karey and Bobby’s Wedding so special. The food and décor was fabulous, and really fit their amazing Farmhouse wedding site. As you know it can be very difficult planning a wedding 2000 miles away, but from the first phone call to you I knew we found the perfect caterer and coordinator. You made me feel you were there for ONLY their wedding. Our own little taste testing was special and so appreciated; it was hard to choose when everything was outstanding everything was perfect and very professional. Great job keeping ALL the candles burning too! I am sure as Karey and Bobby reflect back on their beautiful wedding they will remember Pure Joy played such an important role in making it perfect.

Barbara Rinkenberger

Where do I begin to thank you and your incredible staff ( and I really mean this as I have done so many events at my home and helped with many events for United Way and UCI etc). Each and every staff member was polite, competent, caring, and attentive … no detail was left undone. I felt at times like I had a personal staff member to wait on me … not really but it felt like they knew what I needed even before I asked. You are amazing and the food, well, I know now why Greg said you were the only one he wanted……it was delicious and presents so beautifully. So many things go into planning and presenting an event like a wedding…so many emotions are present…each and every part of the evening is a special part and if one goes “south” it affects it all … you were so pivotal in the entire thing and you were THEBEST!!!!! I have had so many calls and e-mails asking for your contact information… Also our friends from Montecito were extremely impressed and said now they know they can recommend or use you without any hesitation. So glad you could met them personally. I also know that Avesta and Jil LOVED having met you and experienced firsthand what you do and how you handled it … and as we left they said they look forward to working with you again. It is definitely a long haul up that road, but once there it is magical! Thank you for all your patience and caring planning for this special day … I also know Beth was VERY pleased and would also recommend you with no hesitations.

Thank you again for everything….this hardly seems like the right words, but just know that all of us are so grateful we found you!

Nancy

I just wanted to write a quick ‘Thank You’ on behalf of Maryanne, Rob and myself to all three of you and your incredible extensive staff that worked Maryanne and Rob’s wedding on Saturday. Pure Joy Catering made this entire event go off without a hitch! It was everything I personally dreamed it could possibly be. The entire location was set up perfectly; the entire staff was extremely friendly, kind and helpful. The entire staff was also very professional and dressed as such. The food was very good, and everything I expected it to be. The timeline, transferring of the chairs and all other small details were handled perfectly! Thank you so very much for all your hard work, help, suggestions and diligence. We greatly appreciate everything everyone did!

Laura Becerra, Rob and Maryanne Underwood

Our event went so very well, your team is a credit to the Pure Joy Catering image. They were professional and extremely friendly, and very helpful. It was a pleasure working with them all. Our guests really enjoyed the food and the service, so thank you to Lynette for the creative Irish menu, and to Manny for the on site cooking!

April Pharoah

We’re finally back from our honeymoon and back to reality. It seems like we were never gone, everything went by so quickly! We just want to thank you and the staff at Pure Joy for making our wedding so incredible. Everyone did such an amazing job and I’m still hearing everyone talk about the food and drinks! Amazingly we both actually ate at our own wedding (Tanya missed the appetizers).

The displays of food were incredible, the tables looked great, and everything was so incredibly efficient. I don’t think anyone went without anything all night…except maybe Tanya’s dad who refused to drink because he was still hungover from the rehearsal dinner. :)

It’s funny that over a year ago a colleague of Tanya’s (who now works in Japan) told her about this fantastic catering company Pure Joy that she used for her reception in Santa Barbara. After doing a small amount of research we knew Pure Joy would be perfect and we even booked you before we booked our wedding site! We were the first wedding Pure Joy has done at Condor Ridge, right?

Blake and Tanya

Everyone commented on the quality of the food and the presentation. They were blown away!…

Kerry Dickey

Thank you so much for such an amazingly beautiful wedding. It was stunning, perfect. The food was divine. Everything was just as we’d hoped and even more delicious than we’d imagined. Many people told us it was the “perfect meal”.

Your staff was excellent. So kind and friendly and quick! You transformed the place beautifully!

I hope you heard from everyone how perfect it was. You made it so easy and took care of and coordinated everything. I know that you do many of these, thank you for making ours so special.

Mark and Heather

Thank you Thank you!! For the wonderful job you and your staff did on our wedding. Everything was beautiful and the food was EXCELLENT! Please feel free to use us as a reference in the future – we are happy to recommend you in the highest! Thank you for all your work and patience and the wonderful meal.

Jackie & Greg Eliason

You all lived up to your name and more…you made our celebration a Pure Joy!! We have heard nothing but wonderful things since our party; the food, the presentation, the service were all so incredibly awesome. No one could ask for a better caterer. Thank you to each of you that did your part to make our celebration so fabulous.

Jeannette & Tom Schneller

I wanted to tell you that I got nothing but fabulous reviews on all the food and service and that it all looked great and you did a fantastic job. I also want to thank you for being so flexible and handling our chaos so well. I will of course be recommending you all over.

Ellen

What can we say? You and your staff were excellent!

When we first started planning the wedding, I knew I wanted the catering to be one of the highlights of our day. With so many people traveling long distances from so many different directions, it was very important to me that I give them a meal they wouldn’t forget. It was all that and more! People raved about the catering. We can’t get them to shut up about it. It’s actually kind of annoying. What about the bride and groom I say?! And I predict the Sangria will become a legend. “It was on an August day. Just like this one…”

I also have to point out that over half our guest are designers and illustrators who are very, let’s say, visually aware. I can’t tell you how many of them commented on the presentation of the food and the
tables.

I hope we have many opportunities to recommend you in the future.

Thank you for your professionalism.
Thank you for your attention to detail.
And thank you for the Sangria!

The Formerly Single Brian Keenan

AMAZING! AMAZING! AMAZING! Of all the vendors, you guys totally exceeded our every expectation, everything was so perfect!

Lori & Robert

We just wanted to send you a quick note of thanks for our August 24th wedding. Everything was perfect- everyone was raving about how the food was gorgeous, elegant and delicious, and how the service was extremely pleasant and attentive. There wasn’t one thing I would have changed. Thank you, thank you for making our wedding day even better than we imagined!

Jaime and Keith Bussell

We wanted to let you know how very pleased we were with your catering services for our daughters wedding. We were so impressed with how you managed the entire occasion, which provided us with total peace of mind so that we could really enjoy the wedding too. Thank you for all your advice and assistance. It was a joy to work with you.

All of the guests raved about the appetizers and the dinner. The food presentation was very professional, beautiful and artistic. We enjoyed your staff, all of who were very friendly and efficient. The service was excellent and the guests felt so pampered. Please use us as a reference.

Carolyn & Ernie Siracusa

Thank you so much for making our day possible on Saturday in Montecito. It was lovely. You and your crew did a beautiful job, and everyone was so friendly. And compliments to the chef, the food was outstanding….we got so many great comments from our guests, about the meal. It was nothing like the traditional catered food. You guys made it so easy for us.

Thanks for being a part of our day!

Tianna

We just wanted to thank you for the amazing catering you provided for our rehearsal dinner and wedding reception. We have received countless compliments on the food from both occasions from all of our guests. Our priority was the food and you definitely made sure all of our expectations were exceeded, even with two so very different themes! We are so grateful for the good food and excellent service you and your staff provided for our parties.

Thank you so much.

Nicole & Tony Ortega

Thank you so much for making our reception so amazing. It truly was an exceptional event, which couldn’t have happened without Pure Joy Catering. We look forward to planning another bash with you in the future.

Page & Joe Plowman

The opening was a huge hit – we had over a 100 guests – each of whom raved about the food from Pure Joy. You’re a gem.

Cheers.

Lisa

Words cannot express what an extraordinary party you created for our wedding. Most significantly the FOOD was exceptional! I was in awe of the superior quality & artistic design of the stations. Unlike most bride & groom stories of not getting to eat, we indulged thanks to your thoughtfulness in serving us. The Crab and the Garlic Mashed Potatoes were my favorites. Many of our guests stated it was the best food THEYEVERHAD, pretty impressive coming from Italian New Yorker food connoisseurs.

I would also like to note that your staff was excellent; they took great care of our every need; including set-up and break down of everything. Robert was particularly impressed with their ever-famous response of, “don’t worry, we’ll take care of it”. This should be your logo.

The Ice sculptures ROCKED! Please convey to your sculpturist that he is fabuloso. I can’t thank you enough for your attention to detail; you and the weatherman were our most stellar performances.

It was truly a pleasure to have found you and to have worked with you. Your exquisite food presentation and unparalleled food taste, your expertise, and your unsurpassed attention to detail, made our event the most memorable day of our lives…THUS FAR!

Laurann & Robert Putnam

Thank you for the wonderful food, service, and efficiency with which you organized our event. Ookie and I were extremely pleased and happy with your services. We would like to thank all of the staff for being so attentive and understanding to our needs. Without your help this wedding would have been impossible to organize from New York.

Thanks!

Lina and Ookie ma

I had the pleasure of working with Colleen this weekend up at Firestone Winery. I just wanted to let you know what a wonderful experience I had working with her. She was so on-top of every detail and handled everything perfectly. You are lucky to have such an amazing employee and I can’t wait to work with her again!

Cori, Avante Events (Wedding Coordinator)

We just wanted to say a special thank you to you for all you did for our wedding. We thought it was perfect and our guests keep complimenting the food, decor, flow etc.

Laura and Matt

Thank you so very much for the most wonderful job your team did at our wedding. Everything from the contract process, to rentals, to the food, drinks and service was just so easy and executed perfectly. People still cannot stop talking about the delicious appetizers and entrees!

Thank you again for all your hard work, dedication to perfection and wonderful food. our wedding day wouldn’t have been as perfect without you!

Chris and Angelina Mullen

Thanks so much to you and the Pure Joy Catering Staff for making our wedding day simply PERFECT! I can’t tell you how many people came up to John and I saying how amazing the food and service was! You were such a joy to work with … I want to do another event just so we can have more fun!!

Thank you again for all that you did!

Gillian Libbert

Pure Joy is definitely Number One in our books! We are so fortunate that we found you. The rehearsal dinner was FABULOUS!!!! From the servers to the food we couldn’t ask for more. You thought of everything….extra heat lamps, serving set up….just everything was wonderful. Interacting with the servers and set up people was great….they thought of everything. Alex did a great job of cooking. And…..figuring out what to do when the electricity wasn’t turned on and not panicking was amazing. Thanks so much for everything. It was perfect in every way. I didn’t have any input into the wedding dinner and appetizers….but all certainly was perfect from our viewpoint with the wedding as well.

Thanks so much for all your help in planning the events. We loved working with you.

Linda Vlasic

I just wanted to say thank you for such an amazing job at our wedding! The food was fabulous and we received many complements on it and the service. A special thanks to Mike for taking such great care of me during the event. It was so wonderful to not have to worry about my food allergies for a night! We were thrilled with everything…start to finish…and will definitely recommend Pure Joy and use you again!

Jeromy and Laurel Frakes

Thanks to you and your staff for making our wedding so wonderful. We chose Pure Joy as our caterer because we felt they were the most organized and experienced… and they proved us right. The event was flawless- from the rentals to the food- everything exceeded our expectations. Many of our guests remarked how friendly the staff was and really worked to make sure everyone was enjoying themselves.

Kristin was great to work with before the wedding. She listened to what we wanted as far as the feel and style, then helped us make decisions to achieve that goal. We wouldn’t have changed a thing about our wedding and Pure Joy played a big part in that.

Adam Lowenstein and Elizabeth Musson

I hope you are doing well! Steve and I are just getting home from our honeymoon and trying to catch up on everything. We wanted to first say thank you for all of your help with our wedding, you were a pleasure to work with. The food was amazing, everyone is still telling us how much they loved the food, which is not something you hear very often at a wedding. So thanks to your chef and incredible team.

Thank you also for the recommendation of Arnoldi’s for the rehearsal dinner, it was the PERFECT fit for our dinner and one of the highlights of the weekend!

Thank you again, I will definitely recommend Pure Joy in the future.

Brooke

To say Melyssa and Rob’s August 2, 2009 wedding at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum was magical is an understatement.

The entire Pure Joy team contributed to our success not only with the delicious menu we served, but also every detail from our succulent centerpieces, lavender filled escort trays, rental choices and everything in between. The personal attention we received from Kristin in particular is unheard of in today’s catering world.

On behalf of my husband and the bride and groom, I thank you for introducing our out of town guests to award winning Santa Barbara cuisine, for directing and producing a flawless event, and most of all for assuaging any fears this mother-of-the-bride may have had. Thanks to Pure Joy my husband and I ate every delicious bite and enjoyed every minute of our daughter’s wedding.

Pure Joy is much more than great food; Pure Joy is the epitome of event planning and sincere, professional, personal service.

Meryl Peters-Ehrlich

Erik and I are back from our honeymoon, and wow are we exhausted. But it was an amazing week! I just wanted to thank you and the Pure Joy team for all of your hard work. You really did an amazing job!! The food was perfect, and the decor and ambiance were exactly what I wanted. Everyone absolutely raved about the food, and the creme brulee station was a huge hit! Thank you so much for making our wedding incredible. I have had numerous people tell me it was the best wedding they have ever been to, and I know a big part of that was due to the fantastic job you guys did with everything. Seriously, I could eat that meal everything day of my life and never get sick of it. Thank you so much! It will be a night we will remember for the rest of our lives.

Elyse

The food was out of this world and the service beyond measure. I think there was two of you Patrick, you seemed to be everywhere. Thank you again, you were a valuable part of making my Daughter’s wedding day perfect.

Jackie Cram

I just wanted to say that your group did an OUTSTANDING job at the Cronin wedding last weekend at the Woman’s Club in SB. The appetizers were amazing and the staff was the best ever. And, I think that you are aware of the fact that I perform weddings everywhere and I “see it all” or “taste it all”. I just want to let you know you topped everything I have seen.

The couple really appreciated it. Will you please let the staff know that it was appreciated and talked about.

Rev Jerry Bellamy

The Gala was a huge success and you really helped make the evening a very special one!! I loved working with you, as did the others, and your can-do attitude is always so refreshing. You make me want to have party after party after party.

I guess I just need to figure out some more occasions!! Thanks also for your never-ending patience and flexibility.

Judi

We were blown away by everything at the wedding. the food, the decor, the service were all amazing and we received so many compliments. Patrick, you ran an amazing event for us with Kelly. we are so so grateful. of course we will send you a formal thank you for your bathroom wall, but just had to send this immediately!

The food was raved about, the meat was cooked perfectly, everyone loved the ravioli and the chimicurri and we thought it was even more delicious than at our tastings!

We are so happy with our choice to have a pure joy wedding.

Traci & Jeff

I would like to extend my appreciation and compliments for the wonderful job you did in catering my daughter Laura’s wedding last Saturday. Laura had spent many months planning out the details of her event and we all agreed that your attention to the myriad details and thoughtfulness in overseeing the décor, food and service was without exception, perfect.

It was a pleasure working with you and your staff. I cannot imagine a more professional or pleasant team to work with.

Gene Funkhauser, Father of the Bride

Wow-Wow-Wow!!! You and your team are spectacular! Thank you for making Page and Joe’s reception so very special. Norbert is fabulous _ everyone is still talking about how good the food was. Tiari was the perfect, beautiful mermaid; she was over the top fantastic. Chad is so efficient and helpful, he did an outstanding job. Your company name is so perfect fore you. Everyone is still raving about the fabulous party and you and your team. Thank you for a perfectly special evening.

Linda Mc Gaughey

Chris & I cannot thank you and your team for your out of this world service, great food, amazing professionalism and just the plain fact that you made our reception feel like a dream! We are so glad that Pure Joy Catering was a part of our wedding. You exceeded our expectations in many ways. We will always remember you with the fondest of memories, Thank you!!!

Melpo & Chris Kemphet

…I think you are a real, amazing asset to people’s wedding planning. Not only are you an extremely excellent chef/cook/etc. but you are positive, knowledgeable and a ‘JOY’ to work with :)

Amber Sanders

Can’t avoid this play on words…It was a “PURE JOY” dealing with you for our special day. We heard nothing but compliments on all aspects of your service, food and presentation. Lynette, you will always be 1st on our list. Thank you lots and lots!

Nancy and Wayne Kjar (Henning’s Cakes)

Thank you again for an absolutely beautiful day. Heather and I had the wedding we always dreamed of and it was in no small part thanks to you and your fantastic team. The food was wonderful and everybody was raving. In particular, we really loved the cocktail hour and passed appetizers – me the open faced grilled filet on baguette slices with aioli and shaved parmesan and Heather the garlic artichoke hearts.

In addition to the food, the whole event came together beautifully and it really helped to make our special day even that much more special.

Alex & Heather Weingarten

Thank you very, very much. Yesterday was terrific, the food was amazing, the presentation was great, all your employees were terrific, and it was truly spectacular. Once again you’ve outdone yourself!

Carol Behrman

Thank you so much for your contribution to the most wonderful night of my life. The food was amazing, the staff was courteous and resourceful and the presentation was exactly what I wanted…simple, yet elegant. So many of my guests made a point of telling me how much they enjoyed the food, service and whole ambience of the evening. I highly recommend Pure Joy Catering.

Darva (Arellano) Conger

I just want to thank you and the Pure Joy Team for making Rachel and Clint’s wedding reception such a happy event. The food was simply wonderful – our guests raved about the quality and the presentation and helpful service as well.

Thank you also for all your help in planning, it was a pleasure working with everyone.

Helena Kennedy

First off, I adore Lynnette, and I have nothing but positive things to say about Pure Joy. She was a ray of light from the moment we worked with her and made the whole process less stressful and more enjoyable and I would recommend her to anyway planning a social event in SB.

She started right on time, the food is exquisite. I do not have a single negative comment, and I can be very critical! I just want things done the right way and Lynnette delivered exactly what I expected, wanted and felt I deserved.

The proposed price was exactly what we paid and was it very competitive! I couldn’t believe the quote and thought she may have forgot some numbers along the way, but the quote was right on.
I wouldn’t suggest anyone but her for food.

Amber Amlie

I unequivocally recommend that you go with Lynette and Pure Joy, they were absolutely fantastic in every single conceivable way. I can’t say enough good things about our experience.

We also do not live in Santa Barbara so it was important for us to have someone local we could trust to make sure everything came together. Lynette and her team did not disappoint.

We were working with a budget and Lynette made it fly. The food was incredible (I actually just received a compliment about it from a friend the other day – 3 months later) and Lynette worked with us to find the menu we wanted, improvising and creating new dishes to match our tastes.

Aside from the food, the whole day went off without a hitch and was absolutely beautiful. All of the rentals were delivered on time and were done right. We didn’t need to worry about a single thing that was Lynette’s responsibility; she was on top of it all and a consummate professional.

The only problem we did have with the wedding was our entertainment. We hired a DJ that was recommended by Pure Joy but who later turned out to be a nightmare. We ended up using a different DJ after the relationship was unsalvageable. We told Lynette about the problem and she did everything she possibly could to help us work it out. When the DJ continued to be unreasonable, Lynette reached into her own pocket to refund our deposit. It was an incredible gesture and a testament to her character and her professionalism. I am hard pressed to think of any other caterer that would do something like that, it was amazing.

I hope this helps. I have no doubt that Lynette would do an outstanding job for you and your daughter. The next time I have a catered event, I plan on using Pure Joy.

We were very fortunate to have such great vendors; it made all the difference in the world. We probably could have saved a few bucks if we used other people but it would have been a mistake. You need to be able to trust these people, it is worth it for the piece of mind.

Alex Weingarten

Pure Joy!

Thank you very much for a wonderful evening and for the incredible feast. We had nothing but great comments about all the dishes. Everyone just loved the feasting style and the way the food was cooked and presented and served. That was like a Home Run!

Josh Cobb & Ariana Bearce

MANY, MANYTHANKS for a beautiful evening. We had so many compliments on the food. The presentation was lovely and the service outstanding. We will be your best advertising. Your prompt reply to ALL my many e-mails made me so relaxed. I knew everything was in good hands. I didn’t even need asked for the transfusions of Valium!!!!

You helped make it a PERFECT day and I am so grateful.

Bonnie M.O.B.!!!!

Brian and I can’t begin to thank you enough for making our Wedding Day perfect! You all did an amazing job and really made our wedding stress free! You all really outdid yourselves, the food displays were the most magnificent we’ve ever seen & the food was SO good. Everything was above and beyond what we expected! We couldn’t imagine our wedding without you. We’d recommend you to anyone!

Brian and Beckie Hoddy

I can’t thank you enough! You and Pure Joy exceeded our (already very high) expectations. The food was delicious. Many people commented that they were the best appetizers that they had ever eaten and I’m still hearing about the chicken Provencal from family; it was a huge hit. The presentation was beautiful and the service outstanding. The set up was also perfect! I will happily be a recommendation for you if ever you all should need it.

Thanks so much!

Sara Ebright

Thank you so much for throwing such an amazing wedding in Santa Barbara for us! We could not have imagined anything more wonderful or perfect! Thank you for all of your help with all of the details and helping to ease our stress and concerns. It was simply seamless and we have you to thank. GREATJOB!

PS. Everyone loved the food!!

Tara and Matt Cooper

I am supposed to be packing for my honeymoon right now, but I cant go on another second without emailing you to officially THANKYOU for the best night of our lives! I don’t know where to start…..

You guys have been an absolute pleasure to work with since day one. I knew you were the company for our wedding the minute I first came to your office and saw the endless albums of amazing events you have done. You were the only company that had amazing customer service AND amazing food in one! Even knowing that, I was still BLOWNAWAY by you guys last night. It was perfect. Not only the food, but the service and staff went above and beyond to be accommodating and courteous to all of our guests. They had smiles on their faces and seemed really happy to be working there with us! They set the tables perfectly- the centerpieces turned out better than i even expected! I loved all the red roses and it just made the whole place feel magical.

I dont know what kind of miracles you pulled…but some how there were 4 passed appys! It was the biggest surprise of the night for us!!! They brought us a tray and we devoured every one of them. They were the 4 yummiest appys ive ever had at a wedding. The artichoke was the talk of the town today! They were delicious beyond belief. Thank you for that little treat… it made a big difference in our event and we are so happy it all worked out.

Thank you guys for being such an amazing company and providing the best best best catering we could have ever asked for. I am beyond impressed with you guys and cant begin to thank you enough. Please use us for referrals or whatever else may come along. We will be sending people your way for sure!

I appreciate everything you have done to make our wedding perfect… and yes… it was perfect!

Rachelle and Brandon Bell

I want to thank you for such a great job on the wedding. Everything exceeded my expectations – the food, presentation and service were outstanding. Please feel free to use my name as a reference, I would love to help spread the word.

Thank you for helping make Kylie and Mitch’s wedding such a wonderful memory.

Nancy Pedicord, Mother of the Bride

Thank you very much for taking care of our wedding at the sea center pier. I had several family and friends approach me to comment on how impressed they were with the satff that was working our event! Each of the three comments that I received were in reference to different staff members! You are true professionals who have managed to maintain the warmth that goes into hospitality. From the moment we walked into the door at Pure Joy to start the planning thru to the end of the event, having you as our caterers was comforting. Thanks for being so good at what you do that we could relax and enjoy the day!

Tim and Heidi Kolanko

I want to let you know what a fantastic job everyone did! The tables were great, the food was outstanding, and the assistance and service impeccable. I received many compliments for my choice of caterers, and quite a few requests for your contact information as well. Barbara did wonderful job of making sure that everything went smoothly, and I particularly appreciated your staff’s flexibility in making some last minute changes to our plans. You all did so much to ensure that our memorial turned out just the way I had envisioned, and that the reception was everything I had hoped for. It made an emotional and difficult day much easier. Thank you so very much!

Sincerely, Starr Ward

Patrick, I just wanted to follow up after Saturday’s fabulous event! You and your team did an outstanding job; I have received so many compliments on the food, the service, the décor, everything. And the next morning, the best part was no mess to clean up! Again, I appreciate everything you did, and I will not only recommend Pure Joy to everyone I know, but I am already trying to think of an excuse for the next party!

Vicky Krene

Patrick, just wanted to say thanks for all you and your crew did for our party on Saturday. It was a huge success. Josh, Rusty and Camille did a great job and were terrific and flexible about working around our toasts and slide shows. My husband loved the evening and it couldn’t have turned out better. Your crew also did a great job transforming the barrel room into a beautiful space for the party.

Marci

Dear Patrick and Alizabeth and the whole Pure Joy crew,
We are just home and I want to thank you, thank you, thank you!! Everyone was raving about the food, and we have some real foodies among our friends and family. But it was not just the food, it was the knowledge, the attitude, the friendliness, the pure professionalism that everyone from Pure Joy showed us from beginning to end. We could NOT be happier! Everything was simply wonderful.

I hope we didn’t mess up the schedule much. We were in quite a daze and I could not remember what we were supposed to do next by the time we did sit down to eat. We felt cared for and proud to have you there attending to our guests. Please feel free to use my name for any references you would ever want.

Lucinda and George

Dear Alizabeth,

Oh my gosh – I woke this morning and realized I had not formally thanked you for the extraordinary evening that we had. I am truly sorry – I guess it has taken me longer to recover from all the festivities than I realized.

We wanted to thank you and all of the staff from Pure Joy who made our rehearsal dinner such a wonderful event. Each member of the staff were so thoughtful, observant, in-tune with the flow of the evening, that I never had to wonder if we were on track or if something needed to be done. The food was amazing, and enjoyed by all. The favorite appetizer was the tomato soup with grilled cheese, although the pesto sauce with the tri tip skewers is a very close second. The buffet was beautifully set up and created lots of comments about both the display and the quality of the food. Sometimes the smallest touch creates an impression and that was true with the simple act of tucking a small lavender flower into each napkin. And the warm cobbler – very yummy.

The staff was courteous, experienced, very service oriented without being intrusive. And I believe that the clean up left everything as clean as when they arrived.

I look forward to another event as you all made it so easy, beautiful, memorable and tasty.

Thank you Alizabeth.

Kathryn

We first contacted Pure Joy last Sept for our daughter’s June wedding. From the very first visit they have not only guided us through the entire wedding process, but assisted in personalizing a menu. Our planner Alizabeth was very responsive to every question we had through the months. We always got an immediate response. She was an invaluable resource in assisting us with connecting us with other vendors. Every one of her suggestions was a huge!!! success.
The food was fabulous! Fresh, delicious, and gorgeous. During cocktail hour I overheard guests raving about the spread everywhere I turned. We heard from everyone that attended that this was the best wedding they had ever attended. The wait staff was very professional, discrete and fast. There was no waiting around for food. It was always present. All of our guests felt like kings.
Pure Joy catering took care of every detail. All we did was select food from their very large menu and they made all of our daughter’s dreams come true.
Our hats are off to this tremendous team!!!

Jesus and Debbie Cruz

Choosing Pure Joy Catering was one of the best decisions that we made while planning our wedding. Patrick was amazing to work with! He helped us from start to finish and ensured that our wedding was beautiful and that everything ran smoothly. It was quite a task considering that our wedding was 6 hours from where we lived, which limited how frequently we could meet in person, and was planned only 4 months in advance. Patrick scheduled a tasting while we were in town, and it was amazing. This sealed the deal immediately, and then we handled everything else via email and telephone.

Patrick was professional and personable and brought staff to the wedding who were up for the challenge. Of special note was that the wait staff noticed the wedding party off taking pictures during the cocktail hour and made a special trip to bring us appetizers during our photo shoot! That was very much needed and appreciated! Patrick made sure to handle all of the details behind the scene to ensure that the guests had a good time and that my husband and I could enjoy the wedding with them without us spending time directing the evening. We didn’t have a wedding planner but Patrick filled in where necessary to gently remind us when it was the right time to cut the cake and other similar details.

Just as important, all of our guests raved about the food, which Pure Joy customized to our tastes. We are vegetarian, but many of our guests are not, and Patrick helped us to select the perfect menu to make sure everybody was well-fed. Not only did Pure Joy handle all of the food, but they also gave us plenty of tips on how to save money along they way, which was very helpful. He also found the perfect linens to match the mood and decor of our venue. In addition, they took the headache out of the rental process by handling all the rental details on our behalf. They were fabulous to work with and made our event a huge success. Patrick made all of the planning a breeze and we cannot express our appreciation enough. I highly recommend Pure Joy Catering and wouldn’t consider using anyone else for future events on the central coast. Thank you for everything!

Michelle McClure

I would HIGHLY recommend Pure Joy for any event. The entire staff is incredibly helpful and willing to support you in any way needed. They listen to all ideas and then help to enhance them to bring your vision to reality. Our wedding was absolutely stunning and the food was delicious. It was more than I could have every dreamed of and Pure Joy had a great hand in that. Without hesitation, I would recommend Pure Joy to everyone.

Anne Chenoweth

Dear Patrick,

Wow!!

The food and the service last night were both absolutely spectacular. The guests raved about the food, and I personally enjoyed two platefuls.

I had assigned a few friends to box up the leftovers, but learned that your staff did it all for us! I was amazed by that level of service and incredibly grateful.

I can’t thank you enough. My husband and I were both pleased with how it all turned out. Pure Joy, and you in particular, played a significant role in making the day a success.

Please pass my thanks onto Mike, Lynette, and the other members of the staff who were there last night.

Sierra

PS yeah, i concur. The whole meal really exceeded my expectations. You guys did a fantastic job. I realize the recipe for those vegan cupcakes is probably a trade secret but I’d kill for it! ;) The salmon with the grapes was an awesome idea. Richard

Sierra Witnov and Richard Cagley

Patrick at Pure Joy was a true joy to work with! They custom designed a menu for our 200-person Victorian Tea Party reception at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum. To make matters more interesting, we required that most of the items be VEGAN! All of our guests raved about the food, including the vegan baklava made with agave syrup and the old fashioned cocktails. I would definitely recommend this company as they are happy to customize any type of menu. The servers even wore old-fashioned ties to compliment our decor. The set up was very discrete and professional.

Thank you Patrick and Team!

Amy & Camron

Pure Joy did an amazing job at our wedding! I cannot thank them enough. Alizabeth, our event planner, did a wonderful job communicating with us throughout the planning process and on the day of the wedding. We loved working with her. She provided helpful advice for the day to make sure that the event went as smoothly as possible for all of us. I can’t think of even one tiny complaint. The staff was friendly, professional, and efficient. The room looked beautiful. Our guests went on and on about how delicious the food was.

Pure Joy takes a detail-oriented approach to planning a big event. Aesthetically speaking, everything was perfect and the deliciousness factor was off the charts.

Thank you, Alizabeth, Lynette, and the rest of the people who made our wedding day amazing. We appreciate you!

Megan and Matthew

Thanks so much again for everything — you were really great to work with throughout the whole process, and we couldn’t have done it without you! You guys were just awesome on the day of the wedding too, and the food was spectacular.

Adam & Rachel Fisk

Dear Patrick, Lynette, and the Pure Joy Catering Staff:

Thank you so much for all of your hard work on our wedding. The food was delicious, delicious, DELICIOUS. The venue looked absolutely gorgeous. The margaritas were amazing. And, above all, our guests had a fantastic time. WE had a fantastic time!

Thank you again for your patient planning and preparations, your incredibly smooth execution on The Big Day, and, in short, for making our wedding a tremendous success.

With gratitude,

Kate and Max

The food was one of the most important thing we cared about for the wedding. I am a self-professed foodie and Pure Joy really blew away my expectations. We got 3 passed appetizers (huge fan favorite was the bacon wrapped scallops and shrimp, and the shrimp was big/meaty too). The dishes were impeccably prepared. Another huge hit was the berry shortcake station, it was absolutely delicious and devoured. The staff were all responsive and attentive to the guests as well as to me and my now-husband. They also took a lot of care in the decor, making everything look beautiful.

Candace Lee and Tom Dunlap

We had visited a couple catering companies before Pure Joy, but as soon as we went to their first tasting and got a feel for the company we never looked back! It was Pure Joy or nothing! I would not have had it any other way! From the very beginning Pure Joy was professional, warm, compassionate, understanding and really “got” our vision for the wedding and made our dreams come to life! We had a beachy/rustic wedding and wanted the theme of our dinner to be “comfort food classics”. Working with Alizabeth Schotten was such a pleasure! She had great recommendations and suggestions and was very attentive to our needs/wants/vision from the very first meeting. You always picture your dream day in your head but never really know how it will turn out. I must say I was blown away with everything at our reception! Pure Joy went above and beyond any expectations we had! The food was absolutely incredible and guests STILL are raving about how they have never had that good of a meal at a wedding. We had chefs on-site cooking pulled pork, slicing tri-tip, and whipping up fresh batches of french fries, onion rings and ma n’ cheese. Incredible! We finished off the night with a coffee and cupcake station….again more fabulousness! Pure Joy made our wedding such a stress-free, enjoyable, perfect day for us and we will never ever forget the memories we made that day! We didn’t have to worry about a thing and truly, honestly got to sit back and enjoy every second of our wedding day- what its all about!! ;-)
Anyone who has the privilege of working with Pure Joy will not be disappointed. You will be impressed from the start with the staff, the chefs and most importantly the amazing fresh food!!

Megan Wilson and Steve Kelemen

“Hi Patrick,
I want to say thank you to your staff as well as yourself for all your wonderful help. I can’t even count the number of people who said the food was the best they’ve had at ANY wedding!

Everything was executed perfectly!!!”

Jesse Kim

Lynette,
I just wanted to let you know how wonderful Dennis and his crew were the night of my husband’s 50th birthday party. Food was delicious and the service was beyond expectations. This crew put us at ease and made the night a true success. We all fell in love with them! Even our dog Chance was made to feel like the most important guest there.

This entire process has been smooth, effortless, and great fun to be a part of …. and best of all, my husband was thrilled. I can’t thank all of you enough for the experience. You have made a true fan!

Cindy Bender / Hacienda Ocean Front

Dear Patrick, Mike and the Pure Joy Team,
We wanted to write and give you the biggest thank you ever for making our wedding simply amazing. Throughout the whole planning process, you listened so carefully to us and accommodated our wishes in every way – from the vegetarian menu requests to the meetings to discuss our vision for a rustic, vineyard style. When our wedding day came, we were blown away to see everything put together. Your touches everywhere made it rustic yet elegant, just as we had hoped, but it was even better than we had imagined! The entire night, from start to end, was seamless and smooth and you guys had every detail – big and small – taken care of. And last, but certainly not least, I must comment on the food. People are still talking about how good it was! You prepared a gourmet feast that was delicious and cooked perfectly (the raviolis and steak, yum!), and we and our guests couldn’t have been happier, it was even better than the tasting!

Thank you again for everything YOUARETHEBEST!

Rebecca and Max Wallhausser

“Pure Joy rocked! Vince was calm during the many adjustments and remained flexible. The guests commented over and over how good the food was. The staff was professional, hard working and went the extra mile.
You are true pros and it was “Pure Joy” working with you.”

(This one meant so much to us, it was a four course plated wine pairing dinner for 160 guests for a corporate client of Releve’ Unlimited; the most impressive high end corporate event production company in the tri counties)

Releve’ Unlimited, Corporate Event Production Company

“We cannot possibly thank you enough, what a HUGE success. We had a fabulous time,You (and all of PJ) did such an amazing job, the food was so awesome! The bar was perfect. We LOVED every minute. Thanks for making our day so awesome!”

Amy & Melissa / 2013 at Lavender Oaks Vineyard

The catering was wonderful! The table design was beautifully executed, the staff were attentive and friendly, and our guests loved the food! Thank you for helping us create our dream wedding come true. It was a magical day.

Thanks again!”

Yas & Andrew / 2013 at Lincourt Winery

“Patrick,
Well, I have finally surfaced after the most perfect and happy day ever in the Gibbs Family. All my husband, Katie and Zack have said is, “Perfect, perfect and perfect!” That is enough for me to say the same….we were thrilled.
Thanks for the one of the happiest days of my life!”